Fibre filling materials are used for filling into articles of bedding, such as pillows, sleeping bags and quilts, to provide a comfortable feeling and isolation. It would be desirable to provide a filling material that would give the pillow or quilt a temperature regulating effect, which could mean a cool feeling during a longer period than what is possible with the existing filling materials or, as alternative, could mean a heating of a human body.
EP 0 611 330 B1 describes a mixture of polyurethane and microcapsules containing a phase change material. The mixture is sprayed onto a nonwoven fabric substrate, such as Hollofil®, manufactured by E.I. Du Pont de Nemours Company, to form a coating. The phase change material, functioning as a temperature stabilizing means, provides a temperature stabilizing effect for the nonwoven fabric substrate. When heated, e.g. by a human body, the phase change material undergoes a phase change, e.g. a transition from solid state to liquid state, under absorption of heat, thereby reducing the temperature increase in the non woven fabric substrate. As alternative the non woven fabric substrate could be pre-heated such that a phase change material is in liquid state and thus provide an initial heating of a human body as the phase change material undergoes a change from liquid state to solid state. The coated nonwoven fabric substrate made in accordance with EP 0 611 330 B1 is intended for the use as a thermal barrier in clothing, such as in gloves, but has, however, a rather harsh feeling to the skin, a reduced volume and refluffability and is not suitable for filling into articles of bedding, garments and the like, in which softness and refluffability is of importance.